So no-one seems to comment on the thread you worked so hard on - you’re the sort that takes on the annoying details nobody else wants to deal with? Never mind, you are not alone.
In the current Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Craig Parks, lead author of “The Desire to Expel Unselfish Members from the Group” may have found an answer.
In four separate studies Washington State University social psychologist have found that unselfish workers who are the first to throw their hat in the ring are also among those that co-workers most want to vote off. “It’s not hard to find examples, but we were the first to show this happens and to have explanations why,” said Parks.
The phenomenon has implications for business work groups, volunteer organizations, non-profit projects, military units and environmental efforts, an interest of Parks’ co-author and former Ph.D. student, Asako Stone.
Parks and Stone found that unselfish people come to be resented because they “raise the bar” for what is expected of everyone. As a result, colleagues feel the new standard will make everyone else look bad.
It doesn’t matter that the overall welfare of the group or the task at hand is better served by someone’s unselfish behaviour. “What is objectively good, they see as subjectively bad,” he said.
The do-gooders also are seen as deviant rule breakers. It’s as if they’re giving away Monopoly money so someone can stay in the game, irking other players to no end.
But a majority of participants also said they would not want to work with the unselfish colleague again. They frequently said, “the person is making me look bad” or is breaking the rules. Occasionally, they would suspect the person had ulterior motives.
Parks said he would like to look at how the do-gooders themselves react to being rejected. While some may indeed have ulterior motives, he said it’s more likely they actually are working for the good of an organization.
Excluded from the group, they may say, “enough already” and simply give up. “But it’s also possible,” said Parkes, “that they may actually try even harder.”
Further reading:
The desire to expel unselfish members from the group; Parks, Craig D.; Stone, Asako B.; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 99(2), Aug 2010, 303-310. doi: 10.1037/a0018403. Abstract only, article behind pay wall.
